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SAVANNAH STATE SHALL BE A WIN-WIN DEVELOPMENT: GOV. ZULUM SHOULD ALLOW THE PROCESS TO RUN ITS COURSE
SAVANNAH STATE SHALL BE A WIN-WIN DEVELOPMENT: GOV. ZULUM SHOULD ALLOW THE PROCESS TO RUN ITS COURSE
By: A.G.Abubakar
As your Excellency may have been aware, the drums of state creation are being beaten left, right and centre. Expectedly, the perennial agitators once more are in the arena. The current number is about 31 enclaves, with the major ones being Katagum (Bauchi), Ghari (Kano), New Kaduna (Kaduna), Ogoja (Cross Rivers), Oke-Ogun (Oyo), Kainji (Niger), Adada ((Enugu), Amana, (Adamawa), Okura, Okun (Kogi), Orlu (Imo), Warri (Delta), Apa (Benue) and many more have been dusting their memorandum for resubmission.
One hopes the Movements are not overlooking the provisions of Section 8 of the Constitution that deals with the creation of new state (s) in Nigeria. In any case, it is the people’s right to live out their idiosyncrasies as deem fit so long as they are within the Constitutional bounds. For the people of Southern Borno, the current initiative towards having a Savannah State would be the sixth in the series. The first serious requests were made in 1989, 1991, 2014, 2021 and now in the year 2025. Others like Ogoja and Katagum have longer history.
The yearning for a new state ordinarily should be a welcome development for both mother and baby – the new and the old entities. Given the primordial considerations that govern politics and the winner-takes- all syndrome, people tend to feel that their interests can be better catered for through a polity in which they have a voice. This may be misplaced or even an anathema to democratic tenets, but it is the reality of Nigeria politics, all the same.
In Nigeria, it would seem that, only through state creation would development be devolved to the grassroots. Imagine, Your Excellency, if such towns like Damaturu, Gombe, Jimeta-Yola, Jalingo, and Bauchi were still local government headquarters under either the North East state that was created in 1967. Or their plights and pace of development under defunct Borno, Gongola, and Bauchi. Consider the universities, the polytechnics, the specialist hospitals, the airports, and the urban transformations that come with being a state in Nigeria. These seems to be the attraction. So when people agitate for Savannah State, it doesn’t mean they love current Borno less, but they appreciate development more. Not many might appreciate this subtle nuances, but that’s the bottom line.
Some state governments understood the raison d’tre of the demand for the curving out of additional states from the existing ones. Bauchi government accorded the Katagum State movement the necessary support. Ogun State did the same thing and more, by “allowing” the Awujale of Ijebu land to take his request for Ijebu State to Aso Rock in Abuja. Even Kano State never stood in the way of Tiga or Gari state movements .This brotherly support seems to be lacking on the part of Borno power brokers. The last outing by the Savannah State Movement was almost marred by the subterranean influence of the government. For, it will beat imagination for a deputy speaker of Borno State Assembly, an expected beneficiary of the new state ,to rise up and voice the fact that Borno State was not interested in having a new state. People who know the working of government and politics understand the gentleman was acting on a script, based on misplaced fears.
A new state in Borno is going to be a win-win development. The stock shall be left with 19 LGAs. A number far higher than Abia 17, Bayelsa 8, Cross Rivers 18, Ebonyi 13, Edo 18, Ekiti 16, Enugu 17, Gombe 11, Kwara 16, Nasarawa 13, Ondo 18, Plateau 17, Taraba 16, Yobe 17, and Zamfara 14. In terms of economic dispositions, the border economies with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon present huge opportunities for trade and commerce. The economic potential of the Lack Chad and its basin are equally enormous. Furthermore, should the Southern part of Borno state move away, the residual manpower left behind would be more than that of Zamfara, Kebbi, and even Bayelsa at the point of creation in 1991, including population size which is estimated to 3.5 million. Maiduguri, the state capital, has an unsuitable stock of physical infrastructure that can drive development in the foreseeable future.
The Savannah counterpart shall be a state comprised of 9 LGAs with a population that is above two (2) million. It’s going to be a state in the league of Bayelsa with 8 LGAs and slightly less than Gombe and Ebonyi with 11 and 13 Councils respectively. It would be statesmanly for His Excellency to lend support to the people’s legitimate aspiration, for whatever its worth. In the same vein, an unambivalent posture by the state would free the traditional rulers in Southern Borno from the tight corner they normally found themselves anytime there is a state creation exercises on the horizon. They are usually caught between their subjects, who were largely pro state crreation and the state government’s tacit disapproval. A disposition that is unnecessary given the fact that such exercises are guided by Constitutional provisions.
As for the Savannah state, if it all happens, you would have gotten rid of a “restive” segment of your polity for good. Before too long, the teething problems of the Savannah state shall come to the fore unless the pioneer leadership happens to be a visionary one. And also a just one, in the light of the region’s diversity. But that’s going to be their cup of tea, Your Excellency, not yours.
In the light of the foregoing, let the Borno state government lend its support to the Savannah State Movement (SSM). After all, the euphoria so generated could just turn out to be diversionary move by the National Assembly away from the crushing economic hardships Nigerians are currently facing.
The state Deputy Governor, His Excellency Umar U. Kadafur, Senator representing Borno South, House of Representatives members Hons. Mukhtari Betara, Midala Balami Usman, and Jaha, along with their counterparts in the State Assembly, are kindly called upon to heed the yearnings of the people to have their memorandum on state creation pushed. They should forge a bi-partisan front to engage with the government to allow the region’s aspiration to play out. Besides, there is a popular adage that says that “the only bad request is the one that is never made.” Or rather “the only bad desire is the one that is never expressed” Let the request be and be supported too.
SAVANNAH STATE SHALL BE A WIN-WIN DEVELOPMENT: GOV. ZULUM SHOULD ALLOW THE PROCESS TO RUN ITS COURSE
Troops recover suspected stolen motorcycle in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 6, Operation Enduring Peace have recovered a suspected stolen motorcycle following a pursuit of suspected motorcycle snatchers in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau.
Security sources disclosed that the incident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. on May 21 along the Bachi-Banghai road after troops received reports on the activities of suspected motorcycle snatchers in the area.
The sources said the troops immediately mobilised and pursued the suspects, who abandoned the motorcycle and fled upon sighting the security personnel.
According to the sources, the recovered motorcycle has been secured, while efforts were ongoing to identify the rightful owner and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The military said the operation formed part of sustained efforts to combat criminal activities and enhance security across Plateau.
Troops recover suspected stolen motorcycle in Plateau
Troops launch rescue operation after abduction in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 1, Operation Enduring Peace have launched a rescue operation following the abduction of a resident in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau.
Security sources disclosed that the incident occurred at about 11:00 p.m. on May 21 when gunmen reportedly abducted Mr Eze Emeka from his residence at Agingi village.
The sources said troops swiftly responded to the distress report and commenced rescue operations in collaboration with other security agencies.
According to the sources, efforts were ongoing to track down the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the victim.
The military assured residents that security forces were intensifying operations to curb criminal activities in the area.
Troops launch rescue operation after abduction in Plateau
JNIM attack in Tillaberi signals deepening jihadist rivalry and expanding Sahel instability
By: Zagazola Makama
The reported deadly attack on a Nigerien Army engineering unit near Garbougna in the Tillaberi Region marks a significant escalation in the evolving security dynamics of western Niger and the wider Sahel.
With an estimated 67 soldiers and civilians reportedly killed and a military camp destroyed, the incident underscores both the intensity and increasing sophistication of militant operations in the region.
Beyond the immediate casualties, the attack is notable for its attribution to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which swiftly claimed responsibility. Tillaberi have long been considered a stronghold of Islamic State in the Sahel (IS Sahel), suggesting a possible shift in operational influence or encroachment into contested territory.
The incident reflects an emerging pattern of geographic diffusion of jihadist violence across the Tera–Niamey corridor, an axis that has repeatedly come under pressure from armed groups. The corridor connects several vulnerable departments, including Tera, Torodi, Say and Ayorou, all of which have experienced repeated attacks in recent years.
The Garbougna attack also fits into a broader sequence of high-casualty operations across Niger since early 2026, including reported strikes near Niamey airport in January and Makalondi in February. These incidents collectively indicate sustained pressure on Nigerien security forces and an expanding operational reach of armed groups closer to strategic population centres.
Of particular concern is the apparent intensification of competition between IS Sahel and JNIM. While both groups have historically operated in overlapping zones, recent claims of responsibility and counter-claims suggest a more overt struggle for influence, recruitment, and territorial control. The reported clash between the two factions near Petel Kole earlier in the year further supports this assessment.
The implications of this rivalry are significant. Rather than reducing violence through competition, the fragmentation of jihadist groups in the Sahel has in some cases resulted in increased attacks, as factions seek to demonstrate operational strength and legitimacy.
At the same time, the weakening of state presence in rural and border communities is compounding the crisis. Reports of closed schools, non-functional health facilities, and inactive markets point to a gradual erosion of governance structures in affected areas. This vacuum continues to facilitate militant mobility and recruitment.
Another critical dimension is the increasing use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which has reportedly hindered post-attack clearance operations in the Garbougna area. Such tactics not only slow military response but also expand the risk zone for civilians and security forces alike.
Strategically, Tillaberi remains the epicentre of Niger’s insecurity challenges, given its proximity to the Mali and Burkina Faso border regions. The corridor’s proximity to Niamey raises additional concerns, particularly regarding potential spillover effects into the capital’s security perimeter.
The Garbougna attack, therefore, illustrates a convergence of three destabilising trends: escalating casualty levels, intensified jihadist competition, and shrinking state control in border regions. Taken together, these dynamics suggest a deteriorating security outlook for western Niger, with implications that extend beyond national boundaries into the wider Sahel security architecture.
JNIM attack in Tillaberi signals deepening jihadist rivalry and expanding Sahel instability
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